“Most of you have read about underage drinking tragedies. Many of you may know people who have been killed or injured as a result of impaired driving. Some of you might have even been involved in crashes yourselves. At the very least, you know about parties that have left your friends with hangovers, embarrassing memories and in trouble with their parents, friends or law enforcement.
Whether you believe the problems of underage drinking and impaired driving pertains to you, the fact is these problems affect everyone.” - NHTSA.gov

We’ve all heard the message. We all know that driving while drunk is bad. Yet, somehow, the problem still persists. In Mississippi in 2012, drunk driving fatalities represented 31% of total traffic deaths.

Always designate a sober driver.

Never ride with someone who’s been drinking.

And remember, “impairment” is not specific to drinking and driving. Other types of impairment can include:

Illegal drug use

Prescription drug use

Over-the-counter drug use (such as allergy medication that makes you sleepy)

*Information in this table shows the BAC level at which the effect usually is first observed, and has been gathered from a variety of sources including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the American Medical Association, the National Commission Against Drunk Driving, and www.webMD.com.